1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for continuously mining and conveying material from the advancing mining machine to a fixed discharged station and particularly to a method and apparatus for conveying material from a continuously advancing mining machine by conveying the material transversely by a conveyor associated with the mining machine onto a flexible belt that is coiled and uncoiled on a pair of spindles located adjacent a fixed discharge station.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spooled ribbon type extensible support for endless flexible belting is known and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,462. With the arrangement disclosed in this U.S. patent, the extensibility of the conveyor belt is limited by the length of the endless flexible conveyor belt supported on the coiled extensible support.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,660 there is illustrated conveying apparatus for transporting dislodged material from a continuously advancing mining machine to a fixed discharge station. A flexible belt has one end coiled on a spindle mounted on the mining machine and the other end coiled on a spindle mounted adjacent the fixed discharge station. The dislodged material is deposited on the upper surface of the flexible belt adjacent the first spindle and the flexible belt is coiled about the second spindle adjacent the fixed discharge station to move successive sections of the flexible belting from the continuous mining machine to the fixed discharge station. Periodically, the flexible belt is uncoiled from the spindle adjacent the fixed discharge station and coiled on the first spindle mounted on the mining machine. The first spindle mounted on the mining machine limits substantially the size of the coil of flexible belting that can be wound on the spindle mounted on the mining machine. Further, a substantial period of time is required to uncoil the belting from the spindle adjacent the discharge station and again coil the flexible belting on the spindle mounted on the mining machine.